


Trouble

by youmaybethechancellor



Category: La Reina del Sur (TV), Queen of the South, Queen of the South (TV), Queen of the South (USA Network), Queen of the South - USA, The Queen of the South
Genre: F/M, Implied/Referenced Torture, Not really though, POV James Valdez, Set in Season 1, mild embellishment
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-05-14 08:37:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14766233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youmaybethechancellor/pseuds/youmaybethechancellor
Summary: James Valdez's POV of season 1





	1. 23

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah so this was my first published fanfic ever so maybe,, go easy on me in the comments, thanks.  
> Also, I'm aware that this is almost literally a restatement of the events of 1x02, and I have no justification for it other than that this fandom has next to nothing in terms of fanfiction.

James Valdez is _pissed_ to say the least. Yet another girl had died, and this time he actually knew her. He and Aveline weren’t what you would call close, but she was good at her job and made his easier by taking care of the other girls. She had been kind where his job didn't allow him to be, and for that, he was grateful to her. The last mule that died had only been there a month before a bag burst in her stomach, and he was running out of options. He hated that Camila chose Aveline for this run, but the other mules could never seem to swallow more than 16 or 17 balloons, and this client wanted 25. And to top this all off, of course there had to be a runner, and _of course_ it had to be the girl Camila was so interested in.  
James turns the corner of the warehouse, entering the inner room where they usually had girls packing drugs. He is told that they managed to save 22 bags from her. 

Maybe it was penance. Maybe he already felt that her blood was on his hands. Maybe he had already lost his heart, seen too much. Whatever it is that makes him do it, there is no emotion on his face when he places his bare hand inside Aveline’s still-warm body and pulls out another bag. 

“Twenty-three.” He drops the balloon on the table and shakes his hand off once, twice.

His hand still drips with Aveline’s blood, marking a small trail to the bathrooms. Someone will have to clean that up, but that isn’t his concern right now. He doesn’t have time to worry about scrubbing the floors when he needs to deal with the runner.  
He considers dealing with the situation himself, like he normally would, but he knows that Camila would be upset if he kept this information to himself. That damn Mendoza girl. He crafts a quick text to Camila, telling her the bare minimum, as always: Teresa tried to run. He likes to keep his texts short; there’s no room for misinterpretation when there’s nothing to interpret. 

 

Meeting her at the door, James notes that Camila is in a bad mood, which isn’t saying much given she’s always in a bad mood, but having to leave her goddaughter’s quinceañera must have been more disappointing than he thought. He was nearly certain that she would wait until after the quince to return, but she didn’t because it was Teresa Mendoza. It almost made James nervous to think about how interested Camila was in the girl. She’s trouble, that’s for sure.  
James pauses outside the room where they left Teresa. Camila prefers to do this sort of thing alone.

“So... you're a runner,” she begins.

James almost feels bad for the girl. Teresa. He wouldn't want to be on the other end of one of Camila's interrogations. His eyes wander from his boss to Teresa. She’s pretty, with well-shaped brows and small, almost purple lips. Her hair is long, curly, and rather mussed; not that he can blame her for it. It’s not like they offered her a trip to the salon or even a shower. James has just decided to move on to her eyes when he is distracted by the sound of a phone ringing. Camila is calling Epifañio. 

She doesn't let on that she has Teresa, but the fear in Teresa’s eyes is unmistakable, no matter how hard she tries to hide it. James finds himself wondering what the hell a pretty girl like this did to become the enemy of someone like Epifaño Vargas. 

Teresa continues to insist that she's just the girlfriend, that she doesn’t know anything. Camila says that since she's so good at being a girlfriend, she's going to make her a girlfriend to a lot of people. She gives the order to drug Teresa and put her to work. God, he hates this part of his job. He makes a promise to himself that he’ll never get involved in that sort of human trafficking once he’s in charge of his own territory.

Teresa is struggling. It is a valiant effort, but she is ultimately overpowered. Camilla again asks why her husband is so interested in her. Teresa continues to deny any involvement with him. Camilla has grown bored and she turns to leave, but it appears the girl is not done with her yet. 

“Wait!” It’s desperate, but it gets Camila’s attention. “I can be more for you. I'll deliver the drugs. I heard what you said. I'll deliver the drugs that your mule didn't.”

James cannot stop his brows from lifting at this. He was expecting a confession, not a volunteer. And certainly not from someone who had just seen someone die from the exact job she was volunteering to do.

It appears that Camilla is impressed too, because she turns fully to face her and to remind her of the issues that they're having with the balloons. Not that she needs to. Teresa has already seen what could happen. Teresa repeats that she'll do it. It seems that Camilla has nothing to lose, save the 23 bags of cocaine, so she tells her men to prep her.

 

James follows Camilla out of the little room, if you can call it that -- most of the rooms in the warehouse weren’t rooms at all, just fenced off areas. He voices that he doesn't believe there's any point in prepping Teresa. She'll just die like the others. Camilla whirls on James and reminds him that the chemist that he hired is responsible for all of this, and that he doesn't have any choice but to drive faster. Han needs the shipment, they need their money; that's all there is to it.

The others find a pink baseball shirt for Teresa to change into while James collects his camera for the passport photo. He snaps a shot of her and hurries off to get it printed. They don't have a lot of time left and the clock is ticking. He hope that no one notices that she’s wearing the same outfit and has the same cuts on her face in the picture as she does that day.

Teresa is gagging herself over and over, swallowing all 23 bags with only minimal sips of water. James is impressed that she can take so much at once on her first try and finds himself again wondering where the hell this girl came from.

James pretends not to notice when Camilla give Teresa back her necklace of the patron saint Malverde. They've all got their own belief systems and he doesn't feel right about intruding on hers. Teresa stares at the necklace a beat longer than she should, wasting time they don’t have.

They only have 40 minutes before the plane leaves, and even if they make it on time, the bags could still dissolve and kill Teresa. It would be very inconvenient to lose two mules to one job, especially when they’re already getting low on product. They don’t need to be low on workers either.

 

Alone with Teresa in his stolen car, James spares a second to think about Avilene. It should be her in that passenger seat. He would even prefer it, because at least Avilene was predictable. The girl sitting there is not. He doesn’t have her figured out yet, and that makes him nervous. He doesn’t want to risk his freedom over this untested girl who was dumb enough to get captured by both of the Vargases and then make herself notable to them.

He’s driving like a maniac, and any other sane person would be yelling at him to slow down before he gets them killed, but Teresa makes no such comment. She seems to understand how high the stakes are, and that causes him to unclench his jaw. He hadn’t realized he was doing that. 

“You’re religious? That’s a laugh.” 

James glances over at the rearview window. Huh. He hadn’t even noticed the rosary there. 

“I’m not religious, but whoever they stole this car from is.”

He’s glad she broke the silence first. He begins to quiz her on the information on the passport, scolding her when she makes a mistake. A mistake like that could cost them their freedom, and James isn’t going to jail because this girl couldn’t memorize five numbers.

James continues to drive irresponsibly, weaving in and out of traffic at high speeds and failing to stop at a few red lights. 

“Driving like a pendejo isn’t going to help.”

James’ lips twitch at that. _There she is._ He’d been wondering if she was so brave when her life wasn’t in danger, although he guesses that driving at this speed around such sharp corners could count as life-endangering.

SHIT!

James slams on the brakes, narrowly missing a group of pedestrians, who hurriedly get out of his way. The light turns green and he stomps on the gas, bringing them back up to speed.

James glances over at Teresa to see if she’s recovered from the little run-in; he had noticed how far forward she pitched in her seat earlier. In another life, driving at a lower speed, he probably would have been the kind of person to throw this arm out to stop her from falling forward too much, but this isn’t The Blind Side and he doesn’t know this girl. 

“How do you feel?” He’s beginning to notice a stillness to her that wasn’t there before. “Answer me!” 

“I don’t know.” She sound irritated.

“If you start feeling numb, tell me.”

He speeds up, whirling around a corner only to be stopped by construction, of all things. James strikes the wheel with his palm a few times in anger. _Shit!_

He can’t keep the bitterness out of his tone when he says, “We’re not going to make it.” 

“We will.” Teresa’s voice is full of the confidence that he’s lost.

“You only have 10 minutes left.” Even if he could get them to the airport, there’s no guarantee they could get through customs and get all the shit out of her stomach in time. Screw it. 

He removes his sunglasses so Teresa can see his eyes, see how important this is. 

“Okay, listen to me, you're not gonna have time,” he begins, but she's already protesting.

“Drive,” she insists. 

“Throw that shit up now. You're out of time.” 

“I am not gonna throw it up!” 

“You're gonna throw it up!” He feels like he’s arguing with a child. 

“I am doing this.” 

“I'll make you,” James says, reaching over the console between them to try to grab her face. 

“Just get off me, you asshole!” She pushes his hands away. “Drive!” 

“That wasn't the first girl who died. Okay? And I'm not having that again.” He doesn’t care that he sounds desperate. He’s tired of having innocent blood on his hands.

“Well, then, I'm gonna die too. Because I'm not gonna throw that shit up. So you better put your car in gear, and you better get me to the airport on time. I am doing this job. Drive.” Ballsy, even for her.

James shakes his head in disbelief. “You're gonna die.” He puts his sunglasses back on and reverses out of the blocked street. As you wish, princess.

If possible, James is driving even more erratically than before. 

“Airport! Airport!” Teresa yells from the passenger seat, pressing her feet into the carpet of the car and her hands against the dash to steel herself for the coming turn.

James moves his eyes off the road for just a second, but at the speed they’re going, that’s all it takes for them to be T-boned by a Yukon XL.

His ears are ringing and his stolen car is trashed, but he and Teresa are still alive, although they will likely be bruised in the morning. He unbuckles his seatbelt, which probably saved his life, and grabs the suitcase from the backseat. Teresa follows close behind as he runs toward the airport. Someone else can deal with the car. 

Inside the airport, James guides them to the machine to print their tickets and they set off again. It is not uncommon for people to run in airports, so no one gives them much more than a second glance as they take off towards the checkpoint. 

The pair arrive at the security checkpoint out of breath but intact. James tries to talk with the security guard checking his ticket so that he won’t look too closely at their documentation and notice that Teresa’s picture was taken that day, moving his body so that he’s all but blocking Teresa from view. The guard says nothing as he hands back the papers. 

Teresa goes through the metal detector first. He can see that she’s tense and that she keeps looking at the German Shepherd a matter of feet away from her. There is a second where he’s sure that they’re going to be stopped, but he’s waved through security and they both escape. He briefly wonders if the patron saint Malverde is really protecting Teresa, but is soon distracted by a number of other things. 

They’re running again, flying toward the room where Teresa needs to dump the drugs. How much longer do they have? Five minutes? Four? James doesn’t dare check the time yet. They slow down as they approach their goal. James shares a nod with an airport worker and almost misses it as Teresa begins to duck into a women’s restroom. He grabs her arm and pulls her back into the hallway, telling her that that’s not where they’re going. 

James enters the small closet labeled for “Authorized Personnel Only,” flipping on the lights and searching for something to hold the bags in. Teresa is but a second behind, going immediately to the sink and gagging herself to force the bags back up. James finds a tin can and dumps the contents out, rinsing the balloons off and placing them inside, counting as he goes. 

Teresa stops at 20 and says that she can’t throw up any more. James realizes that they’re starting to dissolve and coaches her through it, telling her that she can. He grabs the soap off the wall dispenser and dumps some in her mouth, which allows her to throw up the rest of the bags. 

The nasty part over, James rinses the last couple bags off and dumps them into a plastic bag, which he places into his duffel. He leaves the room first, but Teresa follows a step behind. 

James picks his way through the airport to the meet-up spot. He spots Han wearing a tan suit and shifts his duffel so that it can be removed more easily. Han walks past him and smoothly takes the bag from his shoulder. James sniffs and puts on his favorite leather jacket, heading toward the escalators. 

Teresa and James hail a taxi back to the warehouse. Teresa is the first to break the silence, asking James how he knew about the soap thing. He considers ignoring her, but figures that he can give her this small thing after the day she’s had. 

“When I was a kid, I wanted to ditch school. Drank half a bottle. Never did that again.” There is only the slightest touch of humor to his voice. 

Teresa lips twitch from the other side of the taxi. She looks as tired as he feels, which is interesting given that he didn’t do very much today. He didn't kill anyone, directly. He didn't engage in a gunfight -- so far. All he did was run through an airport. It was almost laughable how ordinary that was. He should worry that he's going soft, and maybe consider spending a little more time at the gym, but right now he doesn't need to think about that. Camila hasn't called him in almost two hours, which must be a daytime record. He's always been loyal to Camila, but damn, must she really always be on the phone? If unlimited calls & texts didn't exist, Camila would have to spend half her income on her phone bill.

James flicks a glance at Teresa, wondering what she's thinking about. He chastises himself for this. He shouldn't care what she's thinking about, or how that shirt fits her very well and is such a nice shade on her, or be distracted by the curly hair blowing in the wind. No, he definitely shouldn't care about her at all. He forces his eyes to focus on the headrest in front of him.

The pair sink into a comfortable silence and don’t speak the rest of the way back. 

 

James walks up the steps to Camila’s office wondering if he should tell her about the argument he had with Teresa in the car, or that this Teresa girl is more trouble than they need. At the top, he decides to just say that she did it. He doesn’t want to call any more attention to the girl and make it harder for her to escape Camila and the cartel life. 

Camila is just getting off of the phone when he comes in. 

“Hey. She did it.”

Camila tells James that her husband agreed to the new terms, but she suspects that this is only because he doesn’t expect her to be in Dallas for very much longer. He’s glad that Camila’s beef with Epifaño is distracting enough to keep her from asking questions about the mission. It’s better this way. He’s about to leave when Camila stops him. 

“You know this Mendoza girl? Keep an eye on her. I think she might be more useful than I thought.” Camila has that calculating look in her eye, and he doesn’t like it. “I want you to talk to her. You need to get her to trust you. Tell her, if she's thinking of running away, she shouldn't. If she's thinking of going to the police, they will send her to the ICE, and they'll ship her right back to Mexico, and sooner, rather than later, my husband will find her. Tell her, if she wants to die, she should run. If she wants to live, she should stay with me.”

James nods his understanding and exits the office, hoping that girl knows what she’s gotten herself into.


	2. Indispensable? Or Disposable?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events of 1x03 from James' POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I just published a chapter yesterday but I had the time so...  
> I think that I'll keep writing dumb shit like this until I get a feel for the characters voices/motivations/etc...  
> Anyway. There's a bigger James/Teresa moment in 1x04 which I'm excited to talk about! Ugh I love these two so much

He couldn’t say that he was eager to go in to work today. Last night, Camila had ordered him to get Teresa to trust him. He’d done a lot of things for Camila -- illegal things, things he hated himself for, things that would be sending him straight to hell. And still he stayed by her side. He never wavered. But somehow he found this, this flies with honey thing, more draining than just putting a bullet between someone’s eyes. He was tired of giving pieces of himself away to people marked for death. 

Teresa is still asleep on her filthy mattress on the floor. The girl can sleep. He supposes she deserves it; yesterday hadn’t been easy for either of them, and she wasn’t used to this kind of life yet. He hoped that she wouldn’t be around long enough to do so. She looks peaceful, her lips are pulled up ever so slightly at the corners. Teresa is still wearing the pink shirt from yesterday, and he wonders if the clothes she came in have been washed yet. She’s sleeping on her side, with her body curled in on itself. He hates the thought of waking her, so he just grabs her meager belongings off of the crate at the foot of the mattress and walks away, depositing her things on Aveline’s old bed. He sees Maya flinch at this, but no one dares say anything in front of him. He knows that they didn’t like the idea of Aveline being replaced so quickly, especially by someone who hadn’t earned their dues yet. 

Under normal circumstances, the packing girl who had shown the most promise would be given training on how to be a mule, but Teresa had upset that system. He knows that this will create problems for Teresa, and it will be hard for her to make friends here, but he thinks that this is for the best. Having no attachments will make it easier for Teresa to let go of this place and get away from this life. 

His phone is ringing. Camila. Who else? Kim knew better than to call him while he was working, and it was too early for any of the mules to have left and run into problems. He hits the answer button and puts his phone to his ear. 

“James. Come see me in my office.” She hangs up before he can reply. 

James has to stop himself from rolling his eyes. She could have just texted him if she didn’t want him to respond. 

 

In Camila’s office, Camila fills James in on the information her spies have gathered, which isn’t much, really. Teresa was born in Culicán, the capital of Sinaloa, and worked as a salesgirl in the Buelna Mercado before becoming a money changer on Calle Juarez, where she worked for 5 years. It seems that after that, she was picked up by Guero Daviles, who was a pilot for Epifaño. Guero and his friend Chino died recently, and Teresa must have witnessed it. She’s just a loose end. Nothing particularly special. 

When she’s finished, Camila returns her eyes to her laptop where she’s likely watching the security feeds. He’s dismissed. Camila doesn’t look up as she reminds James that he’s going to the Savings Club today, and he nods once before exiting. 

 

Teresa is sitting on Aveline’s old bed when he pushes open the door to the mule pen. He stops when he sees Teresa staring directly at him, her arm positioned to rest on the bed frame and her legs crossed. She looks like she’s been waiting for him. It almost reminds him of Camila. The other girls are making a point of staying away from her and avoiding her eyes. It seems she isn’t very popular, as he had suspected. James has the thought that she’s making a point of her own -- Aveline is dead and she’s here to stay.

“Thank you… for putting me here.” Teresa’s eyes are cold when she says this, as though she’s been forced to say it. She looks like she’s waiting for something. 

James doesn’t answer and looks away. “Tina, Julie, get dressed. Savings Club.” 

Teresa stands at this. She doesn’t like to be passed over. “Am I doing something today?” 

This silly girl is going to get herself killed. 

“Come with me.” James takes her arm and pulls her the fenced wall of the mule pen. He stands so that his body is blocking her from view of the other mules. He still has his hand on her arm, but he isn’t applying enough pressure to hurt her, just enough to ground her. She tilts her head so that she can look him in the eyes, her back pressed against the fence. She’s trying to be brave but James knows that she’d rather not have him so close to her. 

“I don't know how much shit you're in, but I know what you're trying to do.” 

“And what am I doing?” Her voice is low. Mouth set.

“You're trying to ingratiate yourself with Camila.” He puts his hands on his hips, pushing his jacket back. “But the second that you become valuable to her, the second she takes an interest in you, it's gonna be harder for you to get out. So be careful.” He turns and takes two steps before she stops him. 

“What am I supposed to do?” She hasn’t moved from where he left her.

“You did a good job. She was impressed. Just do small things when you’re asked. She’ll get bored of you.” He gives a microscopic smile before taking a step back and turning on his heel, exiting through the other door. 

 

Tina and Julie are dressed and the three of them are on their way out, the girls’ heels clacking on the concrete floors. James is adjusting his sleeve when he receives another call. 

“Why aren’t you at Savings Club?” Camila is no more irritated than always.

“I’m on my way.”

“Okay... Take Teresa.” 

He pauses at this. “Why would I do that?”

“I want your opinion on her. I want you to dig deeper.” 

James doesn’t like the way Camila is speaking of Teresa. She’s nobody. Just some dead man’s girlfriend. There’s no reason for her to waste time and energy on figuring her out when there’s nothing important to learn.

“I appreciate that. But she’s got no experience. I can’t take the risk.” 

“It’s important to me.” Her tone doesn’t change, but he hears the warning in her words. 

“Just like staying out of jail or not getting killed is to me,” he retorts. No one else would be so bold as to speak to Camila like this, but no one else has a relationship with her like he does. She values his opinion, but doesn’t always accept his advice. “She has no idea what she’s doing.”

“James,” she interrupts. It is enough to silence him. “I want her to trust you. You’re good at that. It’s not an option.”

“Okay.” _Not okay._ He schools his face, knowing that Camila is probably watching from her beloved security cameras, and turns back to retrieve Teresa. 

 

Teresa is still sitting on her bed when James walks in. “Camila wants you to come with us. Come on.” He inclines his head toward the door. 

Teresa gets up and waits at his side. 

James gives a harsh, “See what I mean?” He leaves first, exiting the building and holding open the passenger door for Teresa. Julie and Tina sit in the back of his SUV. It was a gift from Camila. He doesn’t mind driving recklessly in stolen vehicles, but he’s always been careful with this one. Camila wouldn’t appreciate it very much if he wrecked it, and besides -- it’s a very nice car. 

 

He parks in front of Savings Club and unbuckles as his passengers do the same.

“You stay here,” he says to Teresa. The other girls get out of the car and go where they’ve been instructed. They know the drill already.

James pulls a cellphone from the inside pocket of his favorite leather jacket. “This is your cellphone now. If anything happens -- you see something strange, something makes you feel weird, some dude walks past with his dog twice, you call. There’s a preset number.” He takes a second to look in her eyes to make sure she gets it. 

“What’s going on in there?”

“You said you wanted the job.” He turns his body away from Teresa. Putting his hand on the door, he says, “So you got it.” He exits the SUV to the sound of the door ajar alarm, leaving Teresa staring after him without a real answer. 

 

James locates Bill, his contact in the store. Bill has his phone to his ear, but it seems that he’s just been hung up on. James takes on the friendly persona he adopts when dealing with clients, the one that puts them at ease. It’s better this way. 

“Don’t look at me like that, Bill. I’m not your wife,” he jokes. 

Bill isn’t impressed. “All good, James?” 

“Better than you, it seems.” He keeps his voice light. 

Bill gives a tired “yeah” as they head to the shipment. The couple must still be having problems.

 

James uses a X-Acto knife to open the box. The cocaine is hidden in baby wipes this time. He dips a pinkie into the bag and licks it off, testing the quality. He’s not big on cocaine -- he prefers cigarettes -- but he knows how it’s supposed to be. 

He’s closing the box back up when he turns and finds an employee staring at him. It’s enough to make James pause. He’s tall, with shoulder-length brown hair, and he keeps sending James looks from the corner of his eye. He doesn’t like it. 

Bill approaches James from behind and leans his hand against the top of the container. “Good to go?”

“Who’s that?” he asks as he points with the knife. It comes off as aggressive, and he hopes that the man gets the message.

Bill turns to look. “That’s Keegan, he’s always here.”

That’s not enough. “No, he’s not.” James would know.

Bill gives a short laugh. “Yes,” he insists. 

James isn’t impressed. 

“Chill,” Bill coaxes. “He just got promoted from produce. He’s been here coming up on two years now.” 

James presses his lips together, sending a glare in Keegan’s direction. He isn’t sure how grocery store hierarchies work, but wonders what one has to do to get promoted from produce. Bill doesn’t look any more nervous than usual, so James tries to let it go. He pulls down the door to the van and turns back to Bill. Bill drops the keys into his hand and wanders back to work. James spares one more look at Keegan before getting into the driver’s seat. 

He calls Tina and tells her to get back to the SUV. He warns her to be careful with his car and she replies that she will be. She’s the better of the two drivers, and this is usually how it goes. He puts his phone down and turns the corner, only to find Teresa. 

She’s standing in the middle of the street, rubbing her wrist. James honks twice and she turns at the noise. He stops the van and throws his hands up in a “what the hell” gesture before pointing for her to get her ass inside.

“What are you doing out here?” He begins as she opens the passenger door. 

“Like you don’t know already,” she huffs. She’s angry, and one side of her face is red. 

James is confused. “I told you to stay in the car.”

“It’s kind of hard to stay in the car when you’re being dragged out by the DEA,” she shoots back. 

James almost drifts into another lane at that, narrowly missing another car, who honks. “What?”

Teresa clenches and unclenches her jaw before responding. “Camila had me kidnapped by two DEA agents to test my loyalty.” 

James swears. “I didn’t even know that was gonna happen. The thing you need to understand is that’s who she is. And the second you think you know where you’re at, the ground shifts underneath you.” He’d been though it enough times to know it well. “I told you, be careful. Now you know what I mean.” James wasn’t above handing out “I told you so’s.” 

 

When Teresa doesn’t respond, he continues, “That last time I’m going to talk about this.” 

She’s still facing forward wordlessly when they pull up to the little nursery. He stops the van and takes off his sunglasses, looking over at the man watering the plants expectantly. They make eye contact and the man straightens his back to go turn off the hose. James sniffs and releases a breath as the man moves out of sight. Good.

“Who’s that guy with the hose? The one you just nodded to?”

James considers not responding, but he’s supposed to be gaining her trust, and ignoring her isn’t the best way to do that. “We own him. If I ever see him watering his plants, and he doesn’t stop by the time I get there, I keep driving.” 

Teresa gives a small nod as James notes that the gum in his mouth is starting to lose flavor. Out the passenger window, he sees Lopez walking down the street. 

“There’s our buyer,” he says as he pulls the van around. The parks it on the other side of the nursery where they keep all of the pottery. He’s reaching for the buckle and pauses when she moves to do the same. 

“What are you doing?” He can’t believe he has to tell her to stay in the car. 

“I want to meet him,” she says simply. 

“No, you don't want to meet him. If he sees your face, he knows you. She knows you know him, you see how that works?” Does he really have to spell this out for her?

“If I know too much, I'm indispensable. If I know too little, I'm disposable.”

 _Damn, she’s good._ He waits a beat before responding, “Did you listen to a word I said?” He shakes his head as he gets out of the van. He pauses as he waits for Teresa to join him on his side, putting his sunglasses back on as he walks the few feet to the buyer. 

He shakes Lopez’s hand in greeting. “Lopez.”

Lopez doesn’t look pleased. “Who’s she?”

“She’s new. She’s running with me,” he says, bringing Lopez’s attention back to himself.

“I don’t like ‘new,’ James. I like faces I know.” 

James gives a small nod. He knows this well, but he can’t change how things are. 

“Where’s Aveline?”

“She OD’d.” 

That releases some tension from Lopez’s body. He crosses his arms and says, “Shame…” Lopez had liked Aveline. They all had. “I don’t like this.”

“Look, if you have a problem, take it up with Camila.” He settles his hands on his hips. “I can sell this load someplace else.” He could, but it would be inconvenient to find another buyer. 

Lopez stares at Teresa a bit longer than James likes before agreeing. “Alright. You vouch for her. You take responsibility for her.” He breezes past them as James looks down at the ground. If he believed in a higher power, he would ask it to prevent Teresa from doing something stupid and screwing this up, too. The girl didn’t know what was good for her. He thought it was interesting how a survivor could put herself at so much risk all the time. 

 

James has just finished backing up the van to the drop-off spot when gives Teresa one last warning. “Keep your mouth _shut_ in here.” 

The pair exit the van and follow Lopez inside. 

James rolls up the van door and removes a container of baby wipes from the box he had opened earlier. Teresa makes sure to stand directly at his 6. 

Lopez is measuring out cocaine to test. James is hoping that it measures up to his standards, clenching and unclenching his jaw. He shouldn’t be nervous, he’s done this a million times, but there’s something about this part of his job that makes him feel like a kid being scolded by his teacher. 

Lopez confirms that it’s 90% pure. 

The tension leaves James’ shoulders as he exhales a short breath. He’s delivered them 100 kilos. He just needs to check the money so they can all go home.

One of Lopez’s men places a metal suitcase on a table. James opens it to reveal the cash inside. He flips through a few stacks, removing two bills, and hold them up to the light. They measure up perfectly. He nods. “All right, let’s wrap it up.” 

Lopez and his men exit the room to unload the cocaine from the van, leaving him alone with Teresa. He’s about to zip up the suitcase when Teresa tells him to wait. 

“Why?” It’s been smooth so far.

“Can I see the money?” 

James suppresses a sigh and turns around to face her. “Is there a problem?”

“I don’t know, maybe. Something feels off… Can I see it?”

James decides that it can’t hurt, and flips the top back to reveal the cash, handing her a stack. He watches as she flips through it, his forehead wrinkling in confusion. What is she looking for?

Teresa pulls a bill out and says, “This one is fake. They’re ripping you off. All US money paper weighs a gram. This one is too light.”

James examines the bill. “I don’t see it.”

Teresa keeps glancing over her shoulder. “You don’t see it, you feel it. The difference between a real one and a fake is the paper.”

“Are you sure?” he whispers back. 

“I was a money changer for five years in Sinaloa. My life depended on it.”

“It still does,” he reminds her. “You accuse these men of cheating us and it’s a mistake?” He doesn’t think he needs to continue.

“In Sinaloa…” Teresa pulls her hair back from her face, revealing a scar hidden by her hairline. “You don’t make a mistake with your bosses’ money. I spent 5 weeks in the hospital. I’ll never make that mistake again.” 

James looks away from the intensity of her eyes and is about to say -- something, but he is interrupted by the return of Lopez.

“Hey,” Lopez greets. He must notice the tension in the room because he continues, “Is something the matter?”

James clears his throat. It’s a risk, but Camila would never forgive him if Teresa caught something he didn’t and he ignored her. “I’m gonna need to weigh this bill.”

Lopez is, as expected, pissed. “You think I’m _cheating_ you?”

“I don’t know. But the girl thinks the bill is fake.” He crosses to the other side of the table. “So then you won’t mind if I weigh it… Just to be safe.”

“You’re embarrassing me,” Lopez spits. He removes a gun from the waistband of his jeans and cocks it, pointing it at Teresa. “If she’s wrong, I demand reparations.” 

James steadies a look at the gun in his hand. Camila isn’t going to like this. He looks at Teresa, giving her a chance to change her mind. 

“Weigh the bill,” she insists. “It’ll be less than a gram.” Teresa doesn’t bother to look at the man pointing a gun at her, settling her eyes on James’.

James does as she says. It comes out to just under 8/10ths of a gram. 

“That doesn’t make sense.” Lopez genuinely sounds confused. 

James offers him another chance. “Let’s try it again,” he says, then instructs Teresa to find him another one.

She hands him another bill to weigh. This one weighs less than the first. 

James pulls the gun from his jeans and cocks it, pointing it at Lopez and coming around the table. “Are you ripping me off, Lopez?” He pushes the gun closer to Lopez. “Huh?” Lopez puts his gun down, putting Teresa out of harm’s way -- for the moment, at least. James grabs onto his jacket and puts his gun in his face. 

Lopez continues to swear that it wasn’t him, and questions whether James put the fakes in when they went to get the coke. He promises that there’s only one other person who handled the cash -- Lucian. 

Teresa is examining more of the bills when James allows Lopez to turn to Lucian, though he keeps his gun pressed to Lopez’s chest. James sets his jaw as Lucian begins to speak. Lucian swears that it wasn’t him and that he’s never stolen from anyone, even offering up the keys to his house so that it can be searched. 

“Don’t check his house,” Teresa interrupts. “Check his car. I knew a man who hid it in his car, ‘cause then he wouldn’t have to collect it when he had to run.” She nods to herself, “Check his car.”

Lopez is staring at Teresa, but he isn’t the type to take orders from a woman. _Asshole._

“Check it,” James insists. “Check every inch.”

 

They’re in the shop watching one of Lopez’s men dig through the underside of Lucian’s car. Teresa is standing next to James, and they’re standing back a ways from the rest of the men. Lucian is being held by a man with a black bandana around his forehead. 

The man finds the cash and it drops to the floor. Lucian looks away, tears coming to his eyes. He knows what is coming next. 

Lopez takes the stack offered to him, sending a glare over at Lucian, and shaking his head. He turns back to James. “What can we do to make this right?”

James turns to Teresa, allowing her to answer for him. She was, after all, the one that Lopez aimed a gun at. She doesn’t respond, so James prompts, “He stole from us. What do you think we should do?”

Teresa gives a small shake of her head, and James responds with a short nod. _You have to do this. Decide._

“Nothing. Just let him go.”

James releases a sigh. “That’s the wrong answer.” He takes a step forward and away from Teresa. He doesn’t need to say anything for Lopez to understand what he wants.

 

He sends Teresa back in the office to count the cash, taking this time to call Camila with an update of his afternoon. He wishes that he didn’t have to tell her this, and not only because he almost made a mistake that would have cost them $50,000. He doesn’t like the way Camila’s voice is almost purring in approval when she instructs him to bring Teresa to see her at the club.

 

They leave just as the sun is setting. The van seems louder now that it isn’t loaded down. Teresa is picking the dirt out from under her nails. They’re short and painted black. He can’t remember if they were that way when they first met.

Teresa is the first to break the silence. “What will they do to him?”

“It’s already done.” Lopez isn’t one to wait around.

“Where are you going? This is not the way to the warehouse.” 

He’s surprised that she already has the way back memorized. “Camila wants to see you.” 

She’s staring at him, but he doesn’t give her any more information than that. 

 

He parks the van outside of the club and carries in the two suitcases personally. Teresa lags behind, hesitant to meet with Camila. 

He takes the suitcases upstairs to Camila’s office. He knows that Camila wants to speak with Teresa alone.

 

He comes back downstairs just in time to hear the end of their conversation. 

“I’m tired, can I go?” Teresa asks. 

“I’ll have James take you home,” Camila says, turning to look at him.

“This is not my home.” Teresa is looking at James. Her face hasn’t changed, but somehow it still feels accusatory.

“Teresa. When life gave you a choice about what to do with the man that stole from us, you chose mercy,” Camila begins. 

James isn’t sure if Teresa is paying attention to Camila, because she’s still looking at him. He doesn’t like it, and lowers his head so he’s looking at the ground. He should not feel guilty for doing his job. It’s not like Camila didn’t already know that she was a money changer, but it still feels like he betrayed her.

Camila is still talking. “That was the wrong choice. Women in this business... we cannot afford to look weak. Don't ever make that mistake again.” 

Teresa doesn’t respond, looking between the two of them slowly. 

James supposes that that’s all Camila is going to get from her tonight. He inclines his head toward the exit and leaves with Teresa following a step behind. 

 

Teresa doesn’t speak to him the whole way back to the warehouse.


	3. 30 Cigarettes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teresa goes on her first job. James worries just a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trigger warning for a small torture scene

James picked his way toward the dirty warehouse bathrooms, looking for Teresa. He found her seated on one of the toilets. The stall she was using didn’t have the luxury of a door. 

“I’m trying to pee,” she said when she saw him. 

She was grumpy this morning, and he had to say that he wasn’t too keen on speaking to her today either. She had ignored his advice about staying off Camila’s radar, and what she had done yesterday only made her more valuable in Camila’s eyes. 

“I want to show you something.” He didn’t _want_ to, really, but he did have to. He turned on his heel and waited outside for her to finish. He wasn’t the type to leer at women. 

Teresa left the bathrooms sullenly, rubbing her wet hands against her jeans to dry them. When she didn’t meet his eyes, he exhaled a sigh and turned on his heel, knowing that she would follow. 

He brought her to the fenced-off room where they packaged the product into less conspicuous containers. James braced his hands against the table and nodded at the woman there to show Teresa. Perhaps it was a bit childish, but he was gearing up for a monologue, and he could do as he pleased. 

He watched as the girl opened a container, pulled out the bag to show Teresa, and closed it. He looked to Teresa for her reaction. She returned his look; she just looked pissed. The girl placed the containers into a duffle bag and slid it in front of Teresa.. 

“It’s your first delivery alone,” he began. “You’re moving up in the world,” he added wryly.

Teresa zipped up the duffle and sent him a look that said _you aren’t funny_ before turning to leave. 

A worker rolled up the metal door as they exited the warehouse. James was too busy texting Teresa the addresses to send the worker a nod in thanks. He pocketed his phone just as hers buzzed. 

He plucked it out of her hand before she had a chance to read what he had sent. 

“Here's where you're going. I've texted you both deliveries. These are the addresses,” he flashed her the screen. “The first one is Sandra. She's expecting you. You deliver; you bring the money back to Camila's club.”

Teresa seemed determined to ignore him. 

“It's this one.” He handed her her phone back. “Okay? You do not stop on your journey. That's how you get robbed or killed. I don't care if you hit something... a cat, a dog, a priest. You do not stop.” 

They had arrived at her car. He braced his hands on the hood. “Is that clear?” He didn’t wait for a confirmation and handed her the screwdriver that was resting on the roof of the car. “Here's the key.” 

He opened the door for her and she got in wordlessly. 

“You might have to pump the gas a few times to start it.”

He shut the door behind her and leaned in the window to finish his instructions. “If you get busted, you say nothing. You just give them this card.” He offered her Teo Aljarafe’s business card and she glanced at it before putting it on her dashboard. “It's a lawyer. You don't say anything.”

“I think I've proven that already,” she said shortly.

“Yeah, and it's been proven to me that people need reminding.” James positioned himself so that his form was filling up the driver’s side window. “So remember what I've been telling you. You've been given a job to do. So be smart, and don't even think about running. I guarantee you that shit will not work.” _And I’ll be the one to hunt you down. ___

__He might have said more, but his phone rang. He maintained eye contact with Teresa for another two rings before picking up. “Yeah.” He tapped two fingers against the frame of the red Malibu as Teresa inserted the screwdriver. “She’s leaving now,” he said into the phone._ _

__

__Camila was at the car dealership buying ‘gifts’ for her former lieutenants in Mexico. He had been instructed to get to the club and put together a couple thousand dollars to leave in the trunk as another part of the bribe._ _

__Camila was nothing if not extravagant, and her gifts were always suited to the receiver’s tastes. James thought that she’d do well as a personal shopper if she ever decided to go straight, though the thought of that happening was almost laughable. Camila had tasted power -- fought and kicked and clawed for it -- and she was never going to give it up. Ever._ _

__He loosed a breath as he zipped up a suitcase and placed it to the side in the room they used to count and store their money._ _

__

__James wandered into Camila’s office some time after she returned from the dealership. He had finished coordinating the gift for Galea, Juan Carlos, and the other lieutenants, and Camila hadn’t given him any other instructions._ _

__It was a slow day. The two of them didn’t have much to do at the moment besides waiting around for their shipments. He wasn’t complaining, but somehow it felt worse to stand around waiting for things to happen. He didn’t like it when it got too quiet. It reminded him of his time overseas, when the desert was quiet and the tension in their camp was so thick he could have cut it up and barbecued it._ _

__

__James was in Camila’s office when he got the call._ _

__“Yeah?”_ _

__“James? It's Teresa.”_ _

__He felt a small wave of concern wash over him. “What's wrong?” She wouldn’t be calling unless she had to._ _

__A new voice answered him. “Hey, James. This is Sandra. Yeah, we got some issues over here. Your girl's okay. They tried to hang us. But the rope broke.”_ _

__“What's the damage?” he asked evenly. He wasn’t surprised that Teresa had gotten herself into trouble the second he let her out of his sight; she got mixed up in things even when he was there to supervise._ _

__“One dead asshole, one 'bout-to-be-dead asshole. But you need to get over here now.”_ _

__There went his slow day. James glanced at Camila._ _

__Camila noticed his attentions and told Batman to hold on. “What's happening?”_ _

__He told Sandra he was on his way. To Camila, he answered, “We've got a problem.” He didn’t elaborate before exiting the building._ _

__James didn’t run when he didn’t have to, but his steps were admittedly hurried as he made his way down the stairs and outside to where his SUV was parked. He got into his Escalade and sped away toward Sandra’s house. He definitely made a few traffic violations on the way, but he had always had good luck with not getting caught speeding by the police. Not that it really mattered -- Camila had a lot of them in her pocket._ _

__

__His tires screeched against the road as he parked in front of Sandra’s. James drew his gun and entered the house cautiously. He wasn’t sure what the situation was, but it was best to be prepared._ _

__He assessed the kitchen. Sandra was holding a revolver and there were two men on the floor. One had a knife in his chest and the other was struggling to breathe. There was a shotgun on the counter next to the duffle bag he had given Teresa. Deciding he wasn’t in any immediate danger, he pushed his gun into his waistband at the small of his back, where it typically rested. Kim had once asked him why he didn’t have a holster for it, and he had to admit that it just looked cooler this way._ _

__Teresa entered through the back door and he gave her a quick once-over. She seemed unhurt, though perhaps a bit shaken. Even though she had just been through _whatever this was, _they still weren’t on speaking terms, so he directed his question to Sandra. “This one alive, Sandy?”___ _

____“He was a minute ago.” Sandra didn’t seem pleased about it._ _ _ _

____He kicked the asshole in the face. “Yeah, still alive,” he confirmed._ _ _ _

____He was standing over the thug -- Wendell-- when he heard the tell-tale clicking of Camila’s heels. He hadn’t been expecting her to follow him here, and was sure that she wouldn’t have come if it had involved any other mule. The clicking stopped, and he turned his head to see why._ _ _ _

____Camila was standing next to the counter, looking over Teresa. “Are you hurt?” she asked her._ _ _ _

____Teresa shook her head no._ _ _ _

____Camila traded places with James so that she could interrogate Wendell._ _ _ _

____“Who gave you the confidence to do this?”_ _ _ _

_____Oh,_ so that’s why she had come -- her pride. She thought that she was being disrespected. Though he felt a small relief that Camila wasn’t here solely for Teresa, he couldn’t help but think that it was silly for Camila to come out here to interrogate a dead man. He was more than capable of doing it himself. _ _ _ _

____“No one,” he wheezed._ _ _ _

____“You're bleeding so bad, you cannot even lie properly,” she scoffed. “Is it Eric from Jimenez cartel? The Bird Man? Was it him?”_ _ _ _

____James shifted on his feet and sent a glance Teresa’s way._ _ _ _

____She felt his eyes and returned his look briefly. _What?__ _ _ _

____The man coughed in response to Camila._ _ _ _

____“It's okay. We'll get that sorted out,” Camila promised._ _ _ _

____He tried to look apologetic as he offered Teresa her duffle bag, hoping to spare her from watching the coming torture. “You got another drop-off.”_ _ _ _

____“No,” Camila interjected. “Send someone else. She's had enough for today.”_ _ _ _

____James nodded and began to go outside to make the call, grateful that they could agree on this._ _ _ _

____“You go back to the club now. Sandra, turn on the stove,” Camila ordered behind him._ _ _ _

____Stepping into the sun, he dialed Tonto to tell him to have two of the girls cover the rest of Teresa’s deliveries. As he finished the call, he heard the back door bang closed. He moved to the side yard to investigate._ _ _ _

____Teresa was kneeling on the grass in front of Sandra’s little boy. “Don’t go inside until your mom comes out, okay? Not for anything.”_ _ _ _

____The boy nodded as Teresa pressed a few dollars into his hand. “For ice cream. Shh,” she said as she pressed her finger to her lips._ _ _ _

____The boy pocketed the money and ran off. Teresa stayed where she was, watching him._ _ _ _

____James clenched his jaw. People like her shouldn’t be mixed up in all of this shit. He went back inside before she could see him._ _ _ _

____James’ nose was assaulted by the smell of burnt flesh the second he opened the door. Sandra was standing over Wendell’s body with a knife that she had heated over the stove. Camila was standing back a few feet, not quite leaning against the kitchen sink. She wouldn’t want to get her dress dirty over filth like Wendell. That was James’ job._ _ _ _

____Camila raised a brow at him. “James?” _I’m waiting.__ _ _ _

____He cleared his throat lightly and removed his jacket, placing it over the back of the couch where it wouldn’t get dirty._ _ _ _

____While Sandra had chosen a meat cleaver for its large surface area, James knew that they would get better results if he used the utility knife. He pulled one from the knife block on the counter and made a show of heating it over the fire. Sandra stepped back from his body, crossing her arms and trying to look menacing._ _ _ _

____He continued to consider his knife as he said, “I’ll make it quick if you talk.”_ _ _ _

____Wendell’s pleas came streaming out, but James didn’t hear any of them. He couldn’t afford to look weak in front of Camila. He leaned over Wendell, showing him the reddened blade. “Who sent you?”_ _ _ _

____Wendell continued to beg, offering him nothing to work with._ _ _ _

____James drew a slow slash against Wendell’s skin so that the heat from the blade would cauterize the wound. He wouldn’t lose any more blood, but he might pass out from the pain soon. “Why did you do this? Who sent you?”_ _ _ _

____Wendell was crying and shaking his head, begging. “I sw-swear, I don’t know anything. I don’t know anything! I swear on my mama’s grave, man. On my mama’s grave!”_ _ _ _

____James didn’t believe him, and he didn’t like that he was swearing on his mother’s grave. “Wrong answer,” he said as he pressed blade to flesh again._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____James had his men come out to Sandra’s house and help him load the bodies into their SUVs while Camila waited in the front seat of his Escalade._ _ _ _

____He led them out into the desert, cutting the engine about a 30 minute drive from Sandra’s._ _ _ _

____“So what do you think? Good?” he asked._ _ _ _

____“Desolate. This place is as good as any,” Camila confirmed._ _ _ _

____He signaled for the men to bring out the bodies from the trunk. He needed a shower and clothes that didn’t smell like flayed flesh._ _ _ _

____Camila’s phone rang. “I'm busy,” she answered. Camila paused before turning to James. “We need to go.”_ _ _ _

____He nodded and didn’t question it, too tired and disgusted with himself to truly care at the moment. He took her back to the club, leaving the other men to finish disposing of the bodies._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____James parked his Escalade in front of the club and came around to open Camila’s door. He trailed behind her as she clicked her way up the stairs to her office. The Charger was waiting for them, and he set up the security footage for them to watch before getting out of their way. Camila sat at her desk chair and James stood behind her._ _ _ _

____The footage was of the parking lot outside. He saw a few cars go by before Teresa’s parked in the lot. He felt his stomach drop. Of course it was her. Trouble found her wherever she went._ _ _ _

____Her car was parked for a few minutes before -- shit. Batman approached the car from offscreen and broke the car window. He had kidnapped her, taking away the only leverage they had on Epifaño._ _ _ _

____James wanted to hit himself for thinking about leverage and cartel shit at a time like this, when a woman who had no business being anywhere near any of this was being dragged off to her death by Epifaño’s sleazy right hand._ _ _ _

____“I'll find her.” James didn’t believe in promises, but if he did, he would promise this._ _ _ _

____“You don't need to. I know where she'll be. He's taking her to Culiacán, to my husband.” Where else?_ _ _ _

____James took a breath, collecting his thoughts. “There's only one highway to get back to Mexico.”_ _ _ _

____“Take care of it.”_ _ _ _

____James already had his phone out, scrolling down to find a state trooper’s number. He pressed the call button and held his phone to his ear, giving instructions to locate and stop Batman’s car before he reached Mexico. He had Officer Bradley confirm that he understood his instructions twice before James allowed him to hang up._ _ _ _

____He lit a cigarette. God, that girl was trouble._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____It took another hour for the call to come._ _ _ _

____“We got her. We’re bringing them in now.”_ _ _ _

____James nodded even though Bradley couldn’t see him. “You did good.”_ _ _ _

____James hung up and turned to find Camila. “We got her.”_ _ _ _

____Camila gave a small acknowledging smile. “Good.”_ _ _ _

____James pulled out another cigarette and lit it, settling down into a plush couch. He leaned his head back so that the curve of his neck fit the curve of the couch, breathing out a sigh of relief._ _ _ _

____He couldn’t understand why it mattered so much to him. Teresa wasn’t innocent. He had always liked innocent. It’s why he kept Kim around… Yeah, that was something to unpack some other time._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____James extinguished his cigarette as the squad car pulled up. He had been chain-smoking since he learned that Teresa had been kidnapped. He must have had -- what -- 30-something cigarettes? He had already gone through a pack and the one he was on was nearly empty._ _ _ _

____Bradley and his partner drug Batman’s unconscious body in through the back doors and into the storage room._ _ _ _

____Teresa got out of the squad car and shut the door behind her. She rubbed at her arm and went to stand near Camila._ _ _ _

____Camila, satisfied that Teresa was all in one piece, told her to wait for her upstairs and went to speak to the officers. She’d deal with her later._ _ _ _

____James searched Teresa’s eyes. _You okay?__ _ _ _

_____I’m fine._ She pushed past him and went upstairs. _ _ _ _

____ _ _

____“I've seen a lot of girls in my time who are trouble.” He took a drag of his cigarette. “And you are trouble…” He was saying it to himself as much as he was to her. “Did you see what he hit you with?”_ _ _ _

____She shook her head no._ _ _ _

____“Got to get me one of those. You know, you were lucky today.” And someday your luck is going to run out. “If Camila didn't have a few state troopers on her payroll…” _You’d be dead__ _ _ _

____“What is she gonna do with Batman?”_ _ _ _

____“Between them,” he dismissed. He wasn’t about to get into that. “Between us, I've got a plan for a future. And it doesn't include getting killed by crossfire meant for you.” He leaned back. “Don't expect to get lucky again.”_ _ _ _

____“Where can I get ice?” She was pretending to be unaffected, but he saw through it._ _ _ _

____“Ice machine's down the hall,” he indicated with his chin._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Camila was still in the basement with Batman. He had been told not to join her down there. He suspected she didn’t want his presence to undermine her. Camila liked making it seem like her power came from herself and not from her employees. That was fine with him, as long as she knew that she needed him._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Teresa was sitting on one of the long white couches. He leaned against it and crossed his arms, trying to think of something to say. What do you say to someone that’s just been kidnapped? He didn’t think “I told you so” would really go over well here._ _ _ _

____“You can go now,” Camila dismissed her._ _ _ _

____“You saved my life. Thank you.” She stood before asking, “Why?”_ _ _ _

____“I have my reasons,” She said cryptically. “Go get some rest.”_ _ _ _

____He waited until Teresa had left before saying, “I still think it's a mistake. We should've given her back to Epifañio in the first place.” At least then she might have had a chance. There was no doubt in his mind that Camila was more dangerous than her husband._ _ _ _

____“Not all cards are meant to be played at once. She has a purpose. Her time will come.”_ _ _ _

____“And Batman? I mean, do you really think you can trust him?” He had been called in to help release him, and he hadn’t been very happy to do so. He thought that Camila was making a big mistake. If it was up to him, he would be dead._ _ _ _

____“I don't know. But I'll be ready if it turns out I can't.”_ _ _ _

____He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what that meant._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!


End file.
